Welcome to this week’s Mental Sunshine email, which is all about cultivating a positive mindset and visualising what you want to happen.
If you stop and think about it, we can spend a huge amount of time imagining what could go wrong.
We think about making a big speech, and imagine terrible things befalling us.
I’ll forget what to say!
They’ll laugh at me… or they won’t laugh when I want them to!
I might fall over!
… and then we’re surprised when some or all of those things happen when we take to the stage!
I’ve mentioned before that our brains are programmed to keep us safe, not happy..
So they do automatically look for all the things that could go wrong.
It takes an effort on our part then, to visualise what could go right – and how we want things to go!
Last weekend I went to Loch Morlich in Scotland and did my second Ice Mile swim in 4°C water.
For those who aren’t aware, that’s really cold water!
The Ice Mile swim is considered an extreme challenge.
I’m proud to say I am one of only 77 males in the UK – with fewer than 200 people here in total – who have completed this challenge since records began in 2009.
There are only 644 people in the world who have completed this challenge
And only a handful of us have managed it twice!
In comparison, around 900 people summit Everest every year
I’m not telling you this to show off – though of course I am incredibly proud of myself for achieving this.
I’m telling you this because honestly, if you’d told me 10 years ago that I would do something like this – I would think you were mad.
Freezing cold water?
For a whole mile?
On purpose?
No thanks! Not for me!
Except I did do it.
I even enjoyed myself.
Yes, it was a massive challenge – and I was nervous. It would be weird if I wasn’t.
Getting into water that cold can be dangerous – and it’s absolutely not something to do without a team of experienced people around you.
So what’s changed in the last 10 years?
My attitude.
When I first tried cold water swimming, I found that the benefits I felt from doing it far outweighed any discomfort.
I started challenging myself more with it
Until I found myself standing at the edge of that loch, going for my second Ice Mile swim.
I knew I could do it; I’d done it before, after all.
The night before, I spent a lot of time visualising the swim – and how I would celebrate once I had completed it.
I didn’t think about what could go wrong
I didn’t think about how cold it would feel
I didn’t think about that biting feeling in your fingers and toes as the cold really sets in
I thought about how good it would feel to be slicing through the water
I thought about how short a mile can be, when you’re moving quickly and focused on the finish
I thought about everything going according to plan
And I thought about how amazing it would feel to have achieved a second Ice Mile swim.
Guess what – it feels even more amazing than I’d imagined.
I’m so proud of myself, and that Mental Sunshine feeling has definitely lasted all the way back down south to the torrential rain and grey skies.
I’m not saying you should also swim a mile in super cold water – unless you really want to try that challenge!
What I am saying is that it’s always worth being aware of your mindset – and maybe trying to change it a bit
Think about what could go right today
Visualise how you want it to go right
See yourself reaping the rewards of your new positive mindset!